Stitch to Escape at Magic Kingdom: Goodbye Alien Encounter

It appears that the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter in Magic Kingdom's
Tomorrowland will close for good at the end of the day on October 11.
On October 12, work begins to convert the space over to a new attraction
called Stitch Escape! which is expected to open some time
mid- to late-2004. No word yet on whether they will open the Carousel
of Progress and/or Timekeeper to handle visitors during the closure.

Mission: Space Race goes online

An addition to the Mission: Space post-show attraction, Mission: Space
Race is under construction. Mission: Space Race Online will function in
a similar fashion to the existing post-show, but there will be four teams,
and some competitors will be working via Internet. It is scheduled to
open late 2003/early 2004.

Hurry up for a chance to run

Registration for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon closed in a record
eight days back in March. The demand was so strong that organizers increased
the registration limit from 5,000 to 8,000, and as soon as word got out,
those extra spots were snapped up just as quickly. If you are ready to
handle the extra challenge, there are still spots open in the full Marathon
(link)
 but they're going fast. Registration has passed the 95% mark, with
over 14,700 already registered. Both races will be run on January 11,
2004, and a number of our own MousePlanet staff (as well as some MousePad
members) will be participating.

or lace 'em up to skate around the world

Registration is now open for the Walt Disney World Inline Marathon, Inline
Half Marathon, and All-Star Kids Inline Classic. The kids' race (link)
will be held on May 1, 2004, with the adult marathon and half-marathon
(link)
on May 2, 2004.

Magical Gatherings to kick off

Julia Elzie of MouseEarVacations.com has posted the following information
to our message boards:

This fall, the Walt Disney World® Resort will kick off Magical Gatherings,
a celebration of the special magic that happens when family and friends
gather together. Offering something for everyone, the Walt Disney World®
Resort is the most magical place there is to vacation with extended family
and friends. It is, quite simply Magic Multiplied.

Magical Gatherings will be celebrated across property and include a
lineup of highly-anticipated attractions and a fantastic new resort. Walt
Disney World will also launch a variety of unique products and services
designed to make it easier for larger parties and multiple households
to vacation together.

Grand Gatherings debuts at Walt Disney World® Oct. 6, 2003 for travel
beginning Nov. 16, 2003, offering special products and services designed
specifically for parties of eight or more traveling together as a group
onsite, such as family reunions, extended family and friends, and leisure
travel groups.

Number of Brazilian tour groups falling?

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that Walt Disney World has closed
its travel office in Sao Paolo, Brazil, after being open for seven years
(link).
The number of Brazilian visitors to Orlando dropped more than 50 percent
from 2001 to 2002, compared to a drop of 22 percent for all international
visitors. Looks like we'll see fewer of those large groups of brightly
colored shirts following a flag around the Magic Kingdom.

Disney's Pop Century Resort prepares for a grand opening

Pop Century Resort, Disney's newest value resort draws its inspiration
from pop icons of the 20th Century. The 2,880-room first phase, The
Classic Years, is themed to the 1950's through the turn of the 21st
Century. The second phase, The Legendary Years, will pay homage
to the decades from the dawn of the 20th Century through the 1940s when
it eventually opens.

From an old tabletop jukebox (topping out at 40 feet) from the 1950s
through early-model cellular telephones from the 1990s, the resort takes
whimsical to yet another level. This resort has a similar
decorating theme to the All-Star Resorts, in that it makes use of oversized
icons and unusually-shaped pools to dress up standard budget hotel rooms.

With a themed food court (including a Fluffernutter station for the kids)
and a memorabilia-filled lobby area, the resort really takes things to
the extreme. And that's just how they like it.

Icons include bowling pins, Duncan Imperial Yo-Yos with strings attached,
a 40-foot Big Wheel tricycle, a Rubik's cube, and a laptop computer. The
pools are themed to a bowling pin, a computer complete with spongey keyboard,
alphabet-filled pool deck area, and the flower-shaped Hippy Dippy Pool.

The Resort is targeted to bring visitors onto Disney property from the
hotels in the surrounding area, and will probably lead to further shakeout
in the local hotel industry, as first reported in last
week's update. It opens on Sunday, December 14, and is said to
be already sold out for the first three nights.

Disney Cruise Line premieres new stage show

The Disney Cruise Line's latest production, The Golden Mickeys,
is the most technically-advanced stage show afloat. It's themed to an
awards show, greeting guests with a red-carpet reception before a show
featuring live and taped performances (Tim Allen speaks to guests via
video), elaborate sets, fog effects, and animated backdrops, as well as
a few character appearances. The show premiered aboard the Disney Wonder
in August, and will begin performances in December on the Disney Magic.

Control of Celebration passes to residents

As originally planned, control of the Celebration Resident Owners Association
(CROA) has passed to the residents of Celebration (known as Celebrants),
the town owned and planned by Disney, according to a story in the Orlando
Sentinel (link).
Three of the five members of the board are residents, including the president,
vice-president, and treasurer. The Celebration Company president Perry
Reader is a director with no specific office. New CROA president Charlie
Eldredge doesn't see many immediate changes, and thinks that they just
need to concentrate on keeping things on track. It's trying to keep
Celebration a good place, he said. It whole reason we're all
on the board.

Disney veterinarians go on the road to help native birds

TV station KUAM in Guam reports (link)
that Disney veterinarians have traveled to the island to assist in the
recovery of the native Guam Rail (or Koku Bird) by performing health assessment
tests. The article also reports that there is a Marianas exhibit being
prepared at Walt Disney World for display in the upcoming months.

Ears to the ground

We don't have all the details yet, but it appears that they have
decided to reopen the Main Street Gallery in the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday,
October 1.

The Yankee Trader store in Liberty Square has temporarily been
converted to Halloween merchandise.

The speeder bike that was outside of Star Tours for photo opportunities
has been removed, possibly for rehab.

Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment through Saturday,
November 22. Of course, in light of the tragedy at Disneyland, this
date may change.

The Swiss Family Treehouse will be closed for refurbishment
through Friday, October 24.

Mickey's PhilharMagic is slated to open on Wednesday, October
8. Cast Member previews took place on September 18-19, Annual Passholder
previews were held on September 20-21, and a soft opening is expected
on September 30.

Wishes: a Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, the new fireworks
show for the Magic Kingdom, will debut on Thursday, October 9 at 9:00
p.m. The final showing of Fantasy in the Sky will be Monday,
October 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress and TimeKeeper are
closed for the season, and will most likely next open for the holiday
rush.

The Liberty Belle Riverboat will be closed for refurbishment
from Sunday, September 21 through Saturday, September 27.

The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter will close for good
on October 12. It will then undergo a major rehab and reopen in mid-
to late-2004 as Stitch Escape!

Epcot

Mission: Space is now in soft opening status, with the official
Grand Opening slated for Thursday, October 9. Epcot will close to the
public at 3:00pm on that day.

Disney-MGM Studios

Magic of Disney Animation closes for refurbishment September
30 to November 23.

Residential Street at the Disney-MGM Studios has been closed
and is undergoing demolition to prepare the site for a new E-ticket
stunt-show attraction believed to be an American version of the
popular Moteurs Action! stunt show from the Walt Disney
Studios at Disneyland Paris.

Due to the loss of Residential Street, the Osborne Family Spectacle
of Lights will not be presented this holiday season. It is expected
to return in some form for 2004.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror receives a lot of rehab work
from September to Novemberreportedly on the ride control system
and cable replacementsbut will only be closed from October 13
through 18. One side of the tower will be closed from September 18 to
October 12. Both sides will be down from October 13 to 18, and the Tower
opens again running one side only from October 19 to November 17. Capacity
will be decreased during the rehab, but should be offset by smaller
off-season crowds smaller crowds.

Sets from the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie are scheduled
to open in the old Backstage Pass soundstage on October 6.

Animal Kingdom

No known current closures.

Resorts

Pop Century Resort  officially opens on December 14.

Port Orleans Resort  A two-year extensive rehab of this
resort's rooms is ongoing. For Phase I, French Quarter closed May 4,
2003. Phase II will involve Riverside going down in sections. We have
not yet heard a date for completion of Phase I.

Polynesian Resort  is seeting the longhouses refurbished
one by one. Each longhouse under rehab is walled off and isolated during
its rehab. There are only a couple of longhouses remaining. Hawaii is
currently in rehab thru October 17, 2003. Concierge has been moved to
Tahiti during this period. Tonga is scheduled for rehab September 14-December
20, 2003. Niue is the only other longhouse currently scheduled to undergo
rehab, and is tentatively scheduled for January 18 - May 2, 2004. Rarotonga
has not received a rehab yet, but is not on the current schedule.

Shades of Green  Major construction and rehab is ongoing
at this military-run resort. It is currently expected to reopen in March,
2004.

The Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort [October 23-26]
will feature many of the world's top golfers, including Ernie Els, Retief
Goosen, Jim Furyk, Scott Hoch, Lee Janzen, European Ryder Cup captain
Bernhard Langer, PGA champion Shaun Micheel, 2003 Hall of Fame inductee
Nick Price and Scott Verplank. Tiger Woods is also expected, though
he has not formally committed yet. The tournament will take place on
the Magnolia and Palm courses.

999 Happy Haunts Ball at the Magic Kingdom [October 27, 28,
and 29]

November

Festival of the Masters [November 7-9]  150 artists and
their creations on display at Downtown Disney's West Side

April 2004

May 2004

Winter Dream Maker Package

Today is your last chance! Walt Disney World is offering the Winter
Dream Maker package starting at $99 per adult per night. The package
includes a room at a Disney Value resort and an Ultimate Park Hopper ticket.
For example, you can save about $230 on a three-night stay for two adults
at the All-Star Movies resort, specially priced at $661 (including taxes).
The package is good Monday, November 10 through Wednesday, February 11.
Blackout dates are November 25 to 27 and December 27 through January 1.
Call 407-939-7843 and ask for code ZXMJ, or book at the Disney World Web
site (link).
You must book by September 22.

Mousesavers.com
is also reporting that there is a special Disney Visa Winter Dream Maker
package that is basically identical to the Winter Dream Maker package
above, but covers different dates and includes a $50 bonus in Disney Dollars.
Dates are November 2 through December 25, with blackout dates of November
25 to 27, and you must book by October 14. To book this package,
contact a Disney Specialist travel agent and ask for booking code ZXBL
for a Value resort or ZXBM for Moderate, Deluxe or Home-Away-From-Home
resorts.

Free continental breakfast at Celebration Hotel through MouseSavers

Mousesavers.com has an exclusive offer (link)
of a free daily continental breakfast for two at the Celebration Hotel,
along with special rates, for stays from now through December 31. Reservations
must be booked by October 15.

Great rates at the Swan and Dolphin

Are you planning a trip this fall? Check out this offer from the Swan
and Dolphin:

WDW Annual Passholders can book rooms as low as $139 per night, plus
tax and resort fee, through the end of 2003, including a FREE upgrade!
Rates include a free upgrade, and are subject to availability.

Cruise discounts

MouseSavers maintains a Magical
Rates list, updated with the lowest fares each week. Current specials
on three-night cruises start at just $379 per person.

Disney Cruise Line is offering special savings for Florida residents
on select cruise vacations for late summer and early fall dates. Florida
resident rates start at $349 for three-night cruises, $399 for four-night
cruises and $599 for seven-night cruises.

Special rates for Florida residents apply to most three-night itineraries
departing between August 28 and October 2, most four-night itineraries
departing between August 31 and September 28 and seven-night eastern and
western Caribbean itineraries departing between August 30 and September
20.

Itinerary

Rates

Dates

3-Night

$349

9/11-10/2

4-Night

$399

9/21, 9/28

7-Night

$599

8/30-9/20

Rates are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to availability.
Government taxes and fees are not included. At least one adult guest per
stateroom must be a Florida resident. Proof of residency is required.

Free 5-day Park Hopper for Active Military

Disney is offering a special for active duty military  a free five-day
park hopper ticket, as well as discounted companion tickets. Offer valid
through December 19, 2003 and includes all active military personnel,
including Coast Guard, as well as activated National Guard and Reservists.
See their official
Web site for more information.

Play 4 Days pass

Florida residents can purchase a new four-day ticket for just $109, plus
tax  that's almost 1/2 the price of a regular four-day park-hopper
ticket. The ticket is valid for four admissions from now until September
30, 2003. These tickets are park-hoppers.

Residents can purchase just one ticket per person, per day, so your out-of-town
relatives must buy their own, regular-priced admission. Tickets are nontransferable,
and you must show a valid ID each time. These tickets can be applied towards
the cost of any Annual Passport, as long as you upgrade by October 31,
2003. (Your annual pass expires one year from the date you first used
your Play 4 Days Pass).

The Play 4 Days pass can be purchased at any WDW park ticket window,
local AAA offices, Florida Disney Stores, by phone at (407) 939-4329 or
on the WDW Web site (link).

Plan ahead and save a few bucks

The Walt Disney World Resort is encouraging visitors to buy their theme
park tickets before they even leave home, by offering a slight discount
on advance purchases. You can save as much as $22 per adult, per ticket
with the 'Advance Purchase Savings' program.

You can also receive these Advance Purchase Savings with packages purchased
through AAA.

Multi-Day Tickets

Gate Prices

Advance Purchase Price

Savings

4-Day Park Hopper: Adults

$208

$192

$16

Children ages 3 - 9

$167

$152

$15

5-Day Park Hopper: Adults

$239

$217

$22

Children ages 3 - 9

$192

$172

$20

5-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults

$269

$247

$22

Children ages 3 - 9

$216

$197

$19

6-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults

$299

$277

$22

Children ages 3 - 9

$240

$222

$18

7-Day Park Hopper Plus: Adults

$329

$307

$22

Children ages 3 - 9

$264

$247

$17

Annual Passholders

Receive 10% off the price of their lunch meal at selected Walt
Disney World Resort hotel restaurants, and the discount is good for up
to three guests. The offer is valid Mondays through Fridays. Call 407-WDW-DINE
(407-939-3463) for locations and reservations.

Mark (@MPMark) is a veteran of dozens of trips to Walt Disney World starting in 1972, with a few Disneyland trips thrown in for good measure. As a Disney stockholder and a Disney Vacation Club member, Mark is always in touch with what's going on with The Mouse. Mark serves as MousePlanet's Walt Disney World content coordinator. Mark is a senior information technology manager working for the State of New York. He lives in the suburbs outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son.

MousePlanet® is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews, and guides primarily about the theme park resorts of the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please call destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.